1905 Elgin grade #241

[KarlvonKoln]

Finally, see below the fifth of five watches my brother sent me to be serviced. As usual, the details first:
Elgin Hunter = Grade 241, Model 6, Class 33.  (<<< Thanks guys for the tips on the correct grade)
- Circa 1905, Size 16s, Jewels 17, adjusted.
- Crown wind-crown set, 3-finger straight bridge.
- Breguet hairspeing compensating balance, Moseley regulator, counterpoised anchor lever.
- Straight-line escapement, quick train, going barrel.
- Nickel-finish movement with damaskeening, gold jewel settings.
- Fahys Montauk gold-filled case guaranteed 20 years.
- Movement serial #11709941
The pics below are mostly what my brother sent. I have not cleaned it yet or begun repairs. I am waiting for parts. I can tell that it will be a beauty again when done. It's an extremely nice watch. The Montauk case is likely at least 14k gold-filled.
But the real beauty is inside. Mirror polished parts. Damaskeened nickel-finish parts. Gold plated gear train. Solid gold bearing seats for the rubies. Mosely micrometric regulator on the balance index. And a mirror-polished counterpoised lever. This is about as far away from a Yankee Dollar Watch as San Francisco is from Bangor. I was feeling quite privileged as I opened the cuvette for initial inspection...until I smelled it:

More Cosmoline.

*sigh* Okay, I have already ranted about Cosmoline in the earlier post where I encountered the Gott verdammt stuff inside the Elgin #92. So I won't rant more about it here. But cleaning will be a chore again. I thought I was done with that stuff.  Oh well, like before with the #92, the fork gets cleaned separately, due to the shellac.  The balance is broken and being replaced, so the new one gets a separate cleaning, but all other parts get alcohol and/or acetone.  Naphtha seems to take too long on Cosmoline for some reason.
Pic 1 - Face is filthy, case needs polishing
Pic 2 - Movement is just spectacular to look at.  I never get tired of seeing this kind of thing.
Pic 3 - The coating of Cosmoline is thinner back here, but in the right light you can see a goldish cast to the parts.
Pic 4 - Under the dial it was crammed full of Cosmoline.
Pic 5 - Even the protective band arount the movement was doused with that sticky stuff.
Pic 6 - Moseley micrometric regulator!  I like these even better than the Illinois whipspring & screw type.
Pic 7 - And a mirror polished counterpoised anchor lever into the bargain.

[Poljot]

This is a good candidate for side-by-side photos Before and After cleaning

Good luck!

[KarlvonKoln]

8 hours ago, Poljot said:

This is a good candidate for side-by-side photos Before and After cleaning

Good luck!

It is at that.  I will have to whip some up when it's done.
Addition: and I really need to get a better picture of the escape lever when it's clean.  It's kinda pretty.

Edited January 6, 2021 by KarlvonKoln
added info.

[KarlvonKoln]

This is how much I love my brother:

Removing Cosmoline from a pocket watch is no joke.  The alcohol softens it up well enough, but even agitation does not lift it from the metallic surface.  One must take pegwood and swipe the stuff along a coated surface until you form a clump and then scoop it off.  Wipe the clump off on a lint-free cloth.  Repeat as necessary.  For each individual, separate part and piece and screw and wheel and so on.  I thought Chuck's Elgin grade 92 was bad.  This 241, on the dial side and deep within the bridges and along the baseplate, was painful to see.  There was so much, hiding in every little dark region.  And it was a daunting task to face.  My brother fell in love with this Elgin, and he turned to me, so I can't mess this up.  (Which, given the Cosmoline, broken balance, somewhat worn parts in the keyless works that will need attention, and at least one stripped screw hole, may mean I literally cannot mess this up worse than it was in the beginning.)
I have been soldiering on, by using the strategy of sharpening the wood to a tiny screwdriver shape. And then just scraping and scooping as I go.  Soaking in alcohol once more overnight.  Swirling it when I get home from work. Scraping and scooping some more.  I've about finished every piece, and am most of the way done with the baseplate now.  At the end I'm going to peg all the holes.  Am I wrong to want to hurt the fellow who did this?  I'm used to being the most pacifistic fellow people know, but this kind of pressed my buttons.  It's heartbreaking.  I gave my word I would clean it, and I will.  You'll be able to eat off of it.  But I'm having no fun with this part of the overall process.  I find I'm getting quite grouchy.
A question to any of you folks who've cleaned many watches, and/or the toughest watches to clean: aside from an ultrasonic cleaner which I cannot afford yet, do any of you have any tips for a situation like this?
Heaven forbid I ever encounter such a slimed movement again.  Hopefully by then, I will have bought an ultrasonic cleaner, which hopefully will tackle such things in a way that agitation alone cannot.

Edited January 8, 2021 by KarlvonKoln

[KarlvonKoln]

IT'S CLEAN!  Oh thank the maker.  Okay, I'm saving up for an ultrasonic cleaner.  That was brutal. 
Now I'm working on getting the replacement balance-complete all set up.  Once that's in, and in beat, I'm going to check the tracking on the crystals I ordered.  Then we'll have a nice, happy Elgin.